


Devotion and Disdain

by Owlwyng



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Confessions, Eventual cuddles, F/M, Fluff, It's awkward because they're teenagers, Jealousy, M/M, Pre-Despair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-06-05 14:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6707572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwyng/pseuds/Owlwyng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto Naegi never expected to fall in love with two people, and he definitely didn't expect them to actually love him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Heir

**Author's Note:**

> There are two authors writing this story, and we try to make sure no one notices, but this is a shared account and I don't wanna steal all her hard work, because I do very little. So enjoy!  
> -Wyng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya has a chat with Naegi. Or, at least he tries to

Byakuya never expected this. As the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, he was born to be the best of the best. So when he was invited to the esteemed Hope’s Peak Academy, built for only the best and the brightest, how could he say no? He was fully prepared to be surrounded by talented and qualified young people. However, what he was greeted with was a horror beyond imagination. The “best and brightest” list apparently contained the Ultimate Doujin, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, and even the Ultimate Lucky Student. Originally, he was baffled as to what that could mean, but it was exactly as it sounded. Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student, was completely, utterly normal, and merely accepted due to a lottery.

Naegi was, simply put, a problem. Not only was he a problem in the class, where he argued against Byakuya in the most annoying of ways, but he slowly became a problem in every aspect of his life at Hope’s Peak. The brunet seemed to be everywhere. At first, he found his presence to be annoying, like an insect that buzzes by your ear until the moment you finally get to end its miserable life. But over time, Byakuya found that spending time with Naegi actually wasn’t as insufferable as he’d first thought. In fact, he rather enjoyed the hours they spent together, even though he asked too many questions and talked more than any commoner ever should. It was refreshing, and although he’d never admit it, it was a change in pace from the prosperous people he spent most of his childhood with.

That change was apparently all Byakuya needed to spend hours in the library with Naegi for a majority of the semester. The time they spent together was peaceful, a type of calm he had never truly experienced before. Again, he’d never admit this. He had a reputation to uphold, and the Togamis did not stoop to this level. It wasn’t becoming of the heir of the family to act in such a way.

No, this was not okay at all.

And by ‘this’, Byakuya meant how hard it was to focus on his reading when Naegi had joined him in the library that afternoon. The boy was too distracting for his own good, even as he went on and on about how his family was doing and about how his classes had been going recently. He wasn’t distracted by the words he spoke. No, he was more focused on how stunning he looked as he rambled. This was the true problem of Makoto Naegi. He was, simply put, too good for his own good. He was so boring and yet, Byakuya was entranced by him. It was unfair. It felt like losing, and he _hated_ losing.

“...how much homework we have in that class. I mean, can’t she go a bit easier on us? It’s not like...”

Byakuya knew he should probably focus on what Naegi was saying, but he was too enamored by the expressions on his face of the boy seated across from him to actually process what he was saying. He was so animated and full of life, despite him being just an average student. Did he not realize he was surrounded by people more important than him? How could he even bear to attend this academy knowing how worthless he was?

“Togami? Hey, Togami!” Naegi snapped his fingers in front of his eyes to try and get his attention.

“I’m not an animal,” Byakuya growled. “There’s no need to snap your fingers like you’re fetching a dog.”

Naegi laughed uncomfortably. “Sorry, you didn’t look like you were even pretending to listen anymore,” he said. An awkward grin spread across his face. “I didn’t mean to upset you or anything.”

Yet another problem with Makoto Naegi, he was too nice. It disgusted him most of the time, but lately, he found it to be charming. Insufferably charming.

“It doesn’t matter whether you meant to or not. Petty words don’t upset me,” Byakuya replied, waving his hand dismissively. He anticipated Naegi to laugh, and as expected, he did. Common people are so predictable. That being said, Naegi laughed frequently. It was most likely the only thing he was good at.

“You always say stuff like that. Something has to upset you, right?” Naegi chirped with that ever present smile still on his face.

Something that upsets him? Byakuya couldn’t think of anything particular, anything that really annoyed him, except for Naegi himself. It wasn’t just because of the brunet’s personality. That couldn’t be the only factor in why he, of all people, upset him so much. No, Byakuya had to assume that what truly was the root of all problems were the pesky feelings that accompanied any thought involving Naegi.

Yes, these pesky feelings were absolutely the only thing that could upset him.

“The only thing that bothers me is your constant pestering,” Byakuya said before he could think better of it. He regretted it almost instantly, but kept his face neutral, unmoving, as he’d learned to do over the years. Letting a person see your emotions exposed a fast track to exploiting a weakness, and he certainly wouldn’t let Naegi know that he actually enjoyed the attention from the boy.

Lucky for him, Naegi was too dense to read too far into his statement. He chuckled and said, “Okay, I get it. Don’t pry where I don’t belong.” He threw his hands up in mock exasperation, a small grin present on his face.

Byakuya, feigning disinterest, went back to reading his book. He had lost his spot on the page long ago, so he just flipped back a few pages to the beginning of the chapter. Honestly, he had no idea what he was reading, but that wasn’t the point. All he wanted was something to distract himself from Naegi.

As he tried to read, he glanced up at Naegi shifting in his chair, gazing at the books surrounding the two. It was as if he had never spent time in a library before. Well, he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Naegi didn’t seem like the type to spend hours at a library. That itself posed its own question. Why would he spend so much time here with him? It confused him. Unless, perhaps, he enjoyed his company just as much as Byakuya did? If that were the case, it would possibly be worth asking him to go out somewhere. Of course, he’d have to find out if Naegi even thought of him that way and go from there.

If there’s one thing that Byakuya learned from his years fighting for the Togami heir, it’s that he always gets what he wants. If what he wants happens to be a date with a boy in his class, well, he doubted there were any obstacles. After all, he was a Togami. What could go wrong?

“Naegi, can I ask you a question?”

“Hmm?” He tore his gaze away from the bookshelves to stare at him, a little flustered at the forceful tone. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Byakuya repeated.

“Oh, of course!” A bright smile accompanied his reply.

Byakuya took a breath, prepared to demand an answer, but the words wouldn’t come out. It was like they were lodged in his throat. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he just ask him? He was a fish out of water, opening his mouth and closing it with no words passing his lips. He was sure he looked like an utter fool.

“I forgot,” was all he managed to say. He hoped to God that his face wasn’t turning red.

Naegi gave him a small, unsure smile, staring at him in silence for a few seconds. “Ah!” he exclaimed suddenly. “I was supposed to meet Kirigiri nearly an hour ago!” The boy stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair over. The loud sound seemed out of place in the quiet library. “I’m sorry, please excuse me!”

And with that, Naegi rushed out of the room, leaving Byakuya in stunned silence.


	2. The Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are set into motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, from here on out we plan to post twice a week, unless we're feeling generous or we need more time to work, so prepare yourself.  
> \- Musi & Wyng

Kyouko didn’t plan for this. How could she expect him to be an hour late? All she wanted to do was to confess, be completely honest and open for once, and he was late. She sighed. The dining hall was nearly empty now. Most students had returned to their rooms to study or finish homework, but not her. After all, she had already finished her work ahead of time just so she could chat with Naegi. She glanced at the clock, seeing it was now 8:03 pm, nearly an hour after their designated meeting time. It didn’t shock her that he was late. He never seemed to be the most punctual, always arriving right on the dot, but she had never seen him this late. 

It didn’t quite fit him.

That was when he burst through the doors. Naegi looked flustered, a vaguely confused look present on his face, and a light coating of dust on his hoodie. One look, and she could already tell. He had been talking with someone in the library (where dust coated everything despite attempts to clean it), had forgotten about the meeting, and then, after remembering, promptly ran down three flights of stairs to the first floor. The only remaining question was who he could be talking with in the library, but even that was too simple. It was clearly Togami, who would be the only person to find pleasure in spending time in a room full of books.

“Sorry, Kirigiri, I didn’t mean to take so long,” he apologized. “Time just got away from me!” 

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you made it before curfew,” Kyouko said, gesturing to the clock on the wall. Naegi shifted uncomfortably; It seemed he still felt guilty. “It really is fine,” she reassured him.

“If you say so,” he laughed, a little bit of the awkwardness melting away. 

“Would you like some tea?” she questioned, and he nodded. “Take a seat and I’ll go make you a cup.” Kyouko abandoned the seat she’d been in for too long, (not even mentioning how nice it felt to get up and move after an eternity), and headed directly to the kitchen. She’d done this multiple times before and so it didn’t take long before she had a steaming cup of tea. Minutes later, she had prepared a small tray and was heading back to the dining hall. Then, she saw him. Byakuya Togami had taken her seat at the table, sitting directly across from Naegi. He looked even more confused, but not necessarily upset which was a good sign. She strode over and placed the tray on the table.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, Togami. How have you been?” She tried to put as much warmth into her voice as possible, but even she could feel the ice beneath her words.

“I’m fine,” he replied, straight faced. It wasn’t uncommon for the heir to conceal his emotions, but she could see through the facade. He was annoyed, evident by the hellfire that blazed in his eyes.

She gritted her teeth and responded, “Would you like some tea?” as cheerfully she could manage. Not even bothering to reply, Togami simply nodded his head in her direction. As much as she hated to leave Naegi with that prick, she wasn’t about to lose any mind games Togami attempted to play. Preparing another cup was even easier than preparing the first two. She was finished in a few minutes, and she casually rejoined the two at the table, a steaming cup in her gloved hands.

There were no words of thanks exchanged. The irritable blond picked up the drink she had prepared and took a small sip, seemingly accepting it as satisfactory. 

“Oh, Kirigiri! Can you tell me what you wanted to say now?” Naegi asked, taking a swig of his tea. He looked extremely curious and a quick glance to Togami revealed the same. She took a long drink of her own tea, noticing it needed a bit more sugar, before setting it back down on the table. 

“No.” The silence following her reply was tangible, but she expected it. Many people simply refused to accept ‘no’ as an answer. Naegi laughed nervously and said, “Sorry, I just thought you wanted to tell me. Was it because I was late?”

“No,” she answered again.

“Then why?” He took another sip of his tea, as if to hide his puzzlement at her actions.

“It’s because he’s here,” Kyouko stated plainly, casting her gaze to Togami. The heir raised an eyebrow at the statement. 

“Really? Togami isn’t that bad. I trust him.” Naegi beamed brightly at both of them. How cute. He was so innocent, so trusting, almost like a lamb. 

“Your opinion doesn’t matter,” she said sharply. “I called you here for a meeting between you and me. Nowhere in that equation did I include Byakuya Togami.”

At this point, Togami spoke up. “If she isn’t willing to talk, I have a question of my own,” he interjected. Kyouko, yet again, glanced at the blond sitting next to her, this time with more anger showing than before. He smirked right back at her. Suddenly, she realized that Togami’s intentions were the same as hers. It was obvious he treated this as a game, and Naegi was the prize to be won. 

“No, it’s fine. If you insist,” she mused, “then I suppose you both can hear.” She took one last sip of her tea. Time to confess.

“I like you.”

Silence again swept over the table.

At least, until Naegi sputtered, “What?” at the same time that Togami protested, “Impossible!” Kyouko suppressed a laugh at the two’s reaction. She was nervous, of course, but the absurdity of their reactions was priceless. 

Surprisingly, Togami was the first to speak. “That’s what you wanted to tell him?” The urgency in his voice was undeniable.

“Yes.”

“Hold on a second!” Naegi objected. “You wanted to meet me here to confess? Seriously?” His face turned a deep shade of red, fidgeting with his hands under the table. He was even more flustered than when he burst into the room.

“As I just said, yes,” she replied simply, allowing a soft smile to flit across her face. 

“Well, um, that’s nice,” he stammered. His eyes darted from his hands to Togami, then to Kyouko, then back down to his hands. He looked like he had more to say, but forced himself to stay quiet. Meanwhile, Togami had no qualms voicing his opinion on the matter. His rant seemed too involved for someone who was merely a friend.

“Why do you care so much?” she interrupted. “Why do my feelings affect you so much?” 

Kyouko had apparently taken him off guard. Stunned, he looked at her, panicked, but composed himself as soon as possible. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You like him too, don’t you?”

Naegi tore his eyes away from his hands to stare at Togami with an unreadable expression. Shock? Fear? Hope? Maybe even a mix of the three? Kyouko wasn’t sure, which bothered her to an extent. This was not going the way she had planned. Still, she pressed him for more details. “That was along the lines of what you wanted to ask him about, am I wrong?”

He glared at her from the side. “You’re correct, as always, Kirigiri,” Togami sneered. Kyouko watched as Naegi looked back at his hands, his expression even harder to read, marred with something else now. What could he even be thinking right now? 

“So you finally admit it,” she spat. “I figured you’d never reveal your feelings.”

“Same to you.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the heir’s antics. “In case you weren’t aware, I fully planned to confess. How long would it have taken you before you got enough courage?” 

Togami scoffed. “I tried to ask him before you held your little meeting,” he bit back in reply, “but you interrupted.”

“I didn’t do a thing.” 

“Oh really?”

“Yes,” Kyouko retorted. “In fact, you were the one who made Naegi late by an hour.”

Laughing bitterly, the blond leaned forward in his chair, eyes burning with anger. “He was the one who forgot about you.”

“He was just distracted.”

“Go right ahead. Keep denying the truth.”

“Even if he had forgotten about me, that doesn’t mean he adores you any more than me.”

“That seems like solid evidence to me.”

“And what would you know about evi-” 

“Stop it! I like you both!”

Naegi slammed his hands on the table, staring at the two sitting across from him. He took a deep breath. “I  _ really _ like you both.


	3. The Luckster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone processes what just happened

If Makoto were dreaming, this was the moment he should’ve woken up. Except he didn’t. This was all real.

For a split second, panic spread through his body, and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing. All he wanted to do was to stop the argument, but his feelings for them were genuine. He smiled uncomfortably at the two, who sat in pure shock. Makoto had stolen the words right out of their mouths; The tension surrounding the table was palpable. To be honest, it sucked.

Kirigiri raised one eyebrow, intrigued, while Togami sputtered, “What are you saying?”

“That I like both of you..?”

“I know that part,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “What exactly do you mean by ‘I like both of you’?”

“I mean…that I like both of you.”

After Togami let out an exasperated sigh, Kirigiri smirked and said, “Is it that hard to understand, Togami? He means that he wants a relationship with both of us.” She turned to Makoto, adding, “Am I wrong?” 

He shook his head, trying to appear much more confident than he actually felt. “No, you’re right,” Makoto answered. The stares of his friends burned into him, watching every twitch of his fingers, every shift of his stance, and he hated it. In his head, this was supposed to be a happy moment, but instead it was full of distrust and tension. Why wasn’t this going right?

He knew that starting a relationship with both Togami and Kirigiri was a long shot. The two never seemed to take a liking for each other, constantly bickering and arguing in between classes. Through all of his doubts, he had believed that it could work out, but how? Based on the power of love? Now that was just wishful thinking right there.

Besides, that type of relationship wasn’t for everyone. They had probably never even considered it. Togami would probably be disgusted at even the idea of-

“Alright,” the heir stated, interrupting Makoto’s thoughts. Kirigiri raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.

“Alright?” Makoto squeaked.

“You heard me.” Never breaking eye contact, he picked up his tea cup, took a sip, and set it down soundlessly. “If that’s what you want, I’m willing to try it.”

Kirigiri examined Togami for an abnormally long time, eyes watching his movements carefully, flicking back and forth between his hands and his face. Considering the fact that she was the Ultimate Detective, it wasn’t hard to tell that she was trying to read him. Makoto appreciated it, since he wasn’t too good at reading people’s emotions when they tried so desperately to hide them, like Togami did. 

“I am as well,” Kirigiri finally said, meeting his gaze. Makoto nearly melted at the sight of her bright, beautiful, violet eyes that he adored so much connecting with his. It was truly a stunning sight.

Clearing his throat, Togami dragged the brunet back into reality. “It seems we’re in agreement,” he said.

“You...you guys really mean it?” Makoto questioned. “You’re okay with a polyamorous relationship?”

Kirigiri shrugged. “I don’t see why not,” she replied. 

“I’m not thrilled about her,” he jabbed, gesturing towards the only female at the table, “but if it will make you happy, then we’ll make it work.” 

Beaming, Makoto leapt up from the table to give them each a hug from behind. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” he squealed. Togami chuckled, while Kirigiri simply smiled and raised her cup to her lips, finishing off the last of her tea. The tension surrounding them seemed to melt away, replaced by anticipation and contentment. 

Makoto could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter coming soon.  
> -Wyng


	4. The Author

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touko puts two and two together

He was perfect. Everything about him was so superior to her, and Touko craved him for it. She needed him. Every pore of her body longed to be near him, to touch him, to smell his scent on her clothes. She absolutely would pursue him, maybe push him up against a locker and capture his lips with a kiss...if it wasn’t for  _ her _ . She would ruin it. She’d kill him, just like she did all the others, and then they’d find out her secret.

No, she couldn’t let that happen! So she had kept her distance, just watching him. She didn’t dare get too close. If he ever dared to approach her, she ran, as much as her heart longed to stay.

It was exhilarating, to want something so badly and still run away.

She just might save that idea for her next novel. After all, her fans were sure to lap it up. They’d root for the shy, fearful protagonist and be proud of her when she finally summoned the courage to talk to her perfect love. After all, that’s all something like this could be, a pure, perfect love. Yes, she’d write about this later, after she was sure Byakuya’s heart was hers and hers alone. All she had to do was get rid of Genocider Syo (as the world had taken to naming her serial killer half) and she was free.

At least, that’s what she thought.

She didn’t expect anyone to be in the dining hall so late. Dinner was served at 5:30, and the room usually cleared out by 6:30. Most people liked to eat early so they could spend their evenings studying or with friends, but not Touko. She preferred eating later, after everyone had cleared out, so she could enjoy the time to herself. It’s not like anyone wanted to talk to her anyways. 

However, just after Touko had settled herself down in the corner of the room with her meal, she heard the telltale sound of the dining hall doors swishing open. Her head jerked up, startled. No one ever came in this late. Who was here, and why?

She let out a sigh of relief, seeing as it was only Kyouko Kirigiri. She would certainly leave her alone, because like the rest of the school, she hated Touko. Kirigiri gave her a slight nod, acknowledging her presence, then took a seat at a table next to the doors, on the complete opposite side of the room from where she sat.

After she was certain Kirigiri was settled, Touko busied herself with a pen and paper, brainstorming ideas for her next book, only stopping to take occasional bites of her food. It wasn’t until nearly an hour later that she looked up again, curling and uncurling her fingers, trying to get the cramps out of her tired hands. She realized that Kirigiri was still sitting at that table. She hadn’t moved the entire time, not even to get something to drink or eat. Every few minutes, she would glance at the clock, or drum her fingers on the table in an idle fashion, but that was it. Touko couldn’t help but wonder why she was here.

She didn’t have to wait too long for an answer. Moments later, Makoto Naegi pushed open the doors to the dining hall, panting so loud that Touko could hear him all the way across the room. They greeted each other, and she could tell by his body language that he was apologetic, most likely for being late. That would explain why Kirigiri had sat there for so long. Were they on a date? It was about time the two got together. 

Kirigiri left for the kitchen. Touko took this as an opportunity to head back to her dorm. It seemed the two would be here for a while, and she wasn’t in the mood to listen to romantic chatter between the two. As she gathered up her papers, ready to leave, the doors swished open once more, and she looked up to see none other than Byakuya.

She could have screamed if the sudden sight of him hadn’t paralyzed her. In her panic, the author dropped her scattered notes, which fluttered to the ground with a soft crinkling noise. Touko dropped to her knees, scurrying around for the elusive sheets of paper. She felt like half of them had fallen underneath her table. It made the whole effort much harder, as she tried not to hit her head on the counter above her. She was too old and tall for this. The girl sighed. This was just her luck, to freak out when she saw the boy she adored and embarrass herself. It was so shameful.

From underneath the table, she could hear him drag a chair across the tiled floor. He was going to sit with...Naegi? Why? She didn’t expect him to sit with anyone, especially not someone who was so beneath him. Everyone at Hope’s Peak knew how normal Naegi was, no matter how polite and charming he could be. 

She had intended to leave as soon as possible, but now… she was devoured by curiosity. She had to know. She  _ needed _ to know. So she sat under the table, papers collected in her hands, and waited. After all, she doubted he had even noticed her presence. No one ever really did.  

The kitchen door swung open. Kirigiri was holding two cups of tea. Touko was a bit shocked she was able to do that so gracefully. She knew that she would drop them the instant she tried to do that. 

She couldn’t exactly hear them, considering they were sitting all the way across the room and were speaking in soft voices, but she watched Kirigiri return to the kitchen and come back with another cup of tea a moment later. She sat down after handing it to the flawless heir. Touko watched their quiet conversation from afar. In the beginning, she noticed how Naegi was his aggravatingly cheerful self, while the other two seemed tense and more aloof than usual. This scene quickly fell apart as the brunet was reduced to a flushed mess who twiddled with his thumbs and tried to look anywhere but the two people sitting with him. 

Suddenly, Kirigiri and her beloved Byakuya were shouting at each other. While Touko didn’t understand what they were yelling about, she could hear the venom laced through their words. How dare she speak to him like that! She had no right!

The writer was about to leave her position under the table to go defend her love, but the sound of a pair of hands slamming on a table startled her enough to make her pause.

“Stop it!” Naegi’s voice rang out through the hall. “I like you both!” Those four words made her freeze. What. Did. He. Say?

“I  _ really _ like you both.” 

Touko’s eye twitched. Makoto Naegi was a dead man if she ever caught him alone. How dare he even think that he deserved Byakuya, perfect Byakuya? He was nothing more than a lowly shrub while Byakuya was the bright, shining sun. The nerve of this boy was enough to drive her to  _ murder _ . She shook underneath the small table, ready to explode and eliminate the only threat to her romance. 

What was even more sickening was the fact that her Byakuya actually  _ reciprocated _ Naegi’s feelings. It seemed that all her dreams were shattered in an instant. She clenched her fists tightly, attempting to control her anger.

This was all Naegi’s fault. If she could just get him alone, she’d sick Syo on him. After all, her other half shared her feelings. The next time they switched, Syo would certainly feel her burning hatred for the brunet. 

Touko felt proud of herself, determination pumping through her veins. She had a plan! Careful planning left no room for error, and it also made for a captivating story. The thought made her giddy with excitement. Although her mind was clouded with rage, she was sure that nothing would go wrong. She giggled to herself, smiling in a devious way. 

By the time she became aware of her senses again, Byakuya, Kirigiri, and Naegi had stood up and were chatting quietly near the door. Touko knew that it would be hard to get Naegi alone, so what could she do in the meantime?

How could she get him alone? The gears turned in her head, slowly at first, but quicker as ideas came to her. What if she planted a seed of doubt in Byakuya’s head? It seemed unlikely to work, but jealousy… she knew too well how jealousy could change something. All she had to do was say a few words, distract him with it, and tada! She already had a plot fit for one of her own novels right here and now.

To do that, she'd have to go near the love of her life, who she could probably kill, but that was simply a risk she had to take.

Touko waited until the trio had exited the dining hall before crawling out from underneath the table. Standing up, she dusted off her knees and hurried to catch up with her companions. She figured they were heading back to the dorm rooms. The romance author in her couldn’t deny the tension between the three. What they would do in those rooms was simply lewd, she had no doubt, and with anger to fuel the fire, there was no telling how hot and steamy it would get. Ah, she could just imagine it!

_ Focus,  _ she told herself, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to get to Byakuya before he reached the dorms; that was priority number one. She scurried across the dining hall, her soft footsteps the only sound in the quiet room. When she finally pushed open the heavy doors, she saw her white knight at the end of the hallway, fishing his room key out of his pocket. Kirigiri and that wretched Naegi were standing closely behind him.  _ Go now!  _

“B-Byakuya!” she cried, running across the commons at an alarming rate, braids streaking behind her. His head whipped around, eyes meeting her gaze, and Touko recognized the looks of disgust and annoyance. She desperately tried not to let it phase her, but she had to admit, it made her legs shake slightly.

“Byakuya,” she panted, coming to a halt just in front of where the trio stood. “I-I need to talk t-to you.” 

“It can wait,” he answered without missing a beat.

Reaching her hand out to grab his sleeve, she begged, “P-please, I really need to t-talk to you.” Immediately, he jerked his arm out her of reach, even going so far as to take a step back.

“I don’t have time to waste with insignificant people such as you.” He glared down at her, towering over her tiny frame. Touko tried to speak again, but all that came out was a squeak. This was not how she had planned this. This wasn’t how-

“Togami,” Naegi piped up. He placed his hand on Byakuya’s shoulder, still obviously nervous, but confident enough to touch the perfect heir. “Maybe… you should go with her? I mean, I doubt it’ll take that long. Kirigiri and I could get all comfortable in your room while we wait. Anyway, you should at least be polite to Fukawa. She’s pretty nice.” 

How dare he compliment her when she knew he didn’t believe that? _ All the more reason to kill him, _ she thought, trying to resist the urge to glare at him. At the same time, Byakuya turned and stared at Naegi incredulously. Touko noticed that he didn’t shake the brunet’s hand off his shoulder and she couldn’t help but mutter curses under her breath. 

“I don’t see the point,” Byakuya finally answered after a long moment of silence.

“It’s just the polite thing to do!” 

“Hng…” Her perfect angel pursed his lips tightly, clearly frustrated. She could almost see the wheels spinning in his head as he thought out his options. As much as Touko despised Naegi, she had to admit, she was grateful for his help. 

“Fine,” came Byakuya’s clipped reply after what seemed to be an eternity of waiting. He stared at the door for a moment, his eyes darting between Kirigiri and Naegi, before slipping the room key back into his pocket and briskly walking towards the end of the dorm room hallway. Touko trotted after him like a dog loyally following its owner.

“Th-thank you,” she graciously stammered as she hurried to keep up with his rushed footsteps. God, he was so impatient. She smirked to herself, imagining what the three of them would do under the sheets as soon as she finished with her conversation. Touko would be impatient too if that’s what was waiting for her. 

Byakuya stopped just in front of Asahina’s dorm room, crossing his arms as he leaned his back against Oogami’s door. “What do you want?” he hissed, his eyes cold.

“I just wanted to warn y-you,” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder at the pair stuck outside Byakuya’s room. They were holding hands now, mere seconds after the heir left. Touko didn’t even have to plan that part; the lovers just did it on their own. How convenient! She was sure that would be enough to add evidence to her claims. “You’re g-going to be fighting over your boyfriend w-with  _ her _ .”

She watched as her lovely Byakuya’s eyes darted to the scene behind her, soaking in the betrayal. His hands tightened into fists, and he cursed under his breath, visibly shaken. It was working, she could tell. The seed of doubt was worming its way-

“You think I don’t realize that?” the blond scoffed, disrupting her thoughts. “You’d have to be an idiot not to realize that.” He shook his head. 

“I-I thought maybe-”

“Don’t think. I’m sure that’s much easier for you.”

She gulped under his gaze and nodded. “Of c-course, just… remember that. She’ll take h-him from you,” she added, but by this point, Byakuya wasn’t listening anymore. His mind was already focused back on his precious Naegi. Without even bothering to say goodbye, he left his place on the wall and rejoined his partners.

And although he seemed unaffected, Touko could see right through his act. When Byakuya reached the two, he deliberately stepped in between them, splitting them apart. Even from where she stood, Touko could see the doubt flickering across her beloved’s face as he unlocked the door to his room. Once he opened it, Kirigiri and Naegi shuffled into the room, but Byakuya lingered, giving her a long, hard glance, before shaking his head and walking inside.

Touko smiled. It looked like everything would turn out just fine. All she had to do was just sit back and enjoy the show. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that long chapter we promised.  
> We swear there will be more Naegiri, we just really suck.  
> Sorry.  
> -Wyng


	5. The Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boundaries are set

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 chapters and 50 kudoses  
> Wow.  
> Thanks guys. Seriously.  
> We do this for all of you nerds with shipper hearts like us.  
> You all are great!  
> -Musi & Wyng

Togami’s room was just as clean as she expected. The place was nearly immaculate; the bed was made, his clothes were folded neatly on the table, and multiple books were lined up in rows on shelves lining the wall. The room was more personalized than her own, Kyouko noted, as she sat on one of the two chairs surrounding a small table. Naegi, on the other hand, flopped on the bed, falling into the mattress with a “whoomph.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at how endearing he was.

The heir made his way into the room shortly after the two, pausing near the table to stare at the boy splayed out on his bed. “Get up,” he instructed, a look of annoyance present on his face. 

“Awww, but I’m comfortable!” Naegi whined.

“I don’t care. Get up.” 

“But-”

“Togami,” Kyouko butted in, “I don’t see why he can’t sit there.”

“Is this your room?” he asked, anger laced in his words. “No. It isn’t. This is  _ my  _ room, and therefore these are  _ my  _ rules. If you don’t agree with them, then you are more than welcome to leave.”

Before she could respond, Naegi got up from the bed and calmly stepped to Togami’s side. “It’s okay,” he reassured them both. “I can stand.” Kyouko watched as he slipped his hand into the heir’s, smiling gently, tentatively, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to touch Togami yet. Jealousy stirred somewhere in her heart, making her uncomfortable. This was exactly what she was worried about. Seeing her worried expression, Naegi grabbed her hand with his free one. Even through her gloves, she could feel the warmth.

Togami stared down at Naegi’s small hand like a foreign object. Was physical affection new to him? It made sense, due to his upbringing. He’d probably never felt loved before. Still, Kyouko didn’t have much room to speak. She knew her family loved her, but they had never had been too physically affectionate. Only her father had ever shown his love, but she didn’t even want it. Not anymore. He had been gone too long and left her behind in a mess of death and piteous looks. Jin Kirigiri was dead to her, really, so she just needed to cut him off. Simple as that. Yet, Naegi’s hand was welcome in her own, as if her caution merely took a backseat to her heart’s whims. It was unsettling, yet not unwanted. She tried not to think about it, not be as obsessed as Togami was with the warmth she felt through leather gloves. 

She relaxed a bit, squeezing the hand that held her own as a sign of affirmation. Naegi beamed back at her, his smile brightening the room. Kyouko took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, then leveling her gaze on Togami.   
“So, how do we want to handle this?” She gestured at their linked hands with her free hand. “That is why we really came here, correct?”

Naegi nodded. “We probably need to set up certain boundaries, so everyone’s comfortable and happy and we don’t have any crazy bouts of jealousy...right? Basically, everyone needs to be in the know, so nothing weird happens.”

“Of course,” Kyouko answered. Although when she glanced at Togami, she could have sworn he was glaring at her while he nodded in agreement. 

“So...any suggestions?” 

“I suggest you sit down first,” Togami replied rather coldly as he dropped Naegi’s hand. The smaller boy seemed taken aback by the bite in Togami’s voice, but timidly sat down regardless, dropping Kyouko’s hand in the process. 

“Are you sure you don’t want a seat? I’m fine with standing,” he said quietly. 

“I’m quite fine where I am, Naegi,” Togami responded. Wasting no time, he said, “Now, what are these rules going to be?” 

An awkward silence washed over the room as the trio regarded each other. Despite their readiness to make this work, no one had anything to say. Kyouko watched them closely, noting a lack of confidence in what they might say. The duo seemed to be waiting for someone to break the silence and begin the discussion. They, of course, showed it in different ways. For Naegi, it was written on his face. He was practically an open book. For Togami, she noticed it in his stance, how he held himself. 

“Perhaps we could require some form of communication,” she voiced. “I fear this won’t work if we aren’t willing to be honest with each other.”

Naegi nodded. “Could we, um, write this down? My memory is fine, but maybe we could write down our guidelines just to make them more solid?” 

The heir moved, presumably to retrieve a notepad lying on his desk, but Kyouko already had it covered. She pulled out a small notebook from her jacket pocket and flipped it open to a fresh page before grabbing a simple black pen from another pocket. 

“Ready,” she chirped, pen primed to write. She took remarkably good notes, due to her occupation, so it made sense for her to be the one to write everything down. Plus, she rather enjoyed the angry glare from Togami at the fact that she had been more prepared than he had.

“Ah, thank you!” Naegi said, positively glowing. 

“Start writing,” the blond commanded, crossing his arms. His stance suggested superiority, and while that bothered Kyouko, she obeyed his command without any protests. In her careful handwriting, she wrote “Relationship Boundaries” at the top of the page, followed by a numbered list.

“Number one is communication.” She wrote the words as she spoke them, looking up once she had finished. “Next?”

“Let’s have group dates together!” Naegi contributed. “That way everyone is included!”

Togami frowned. “I agree,” he started, “but I also want single dates to be allowed. I believe we should have some time alone.” Kyouko could see he was absolutely glaring at her now. She smiled internally. This was going about as well as she’d expected.

“I guess so, yeah.” Naegi said, thoughtfully looking at the two.

“We should create a rule where if we decide to go on single dates, we must consent with the third person before doing so,” Kyouko suggested.

“Kirigiri, if we did that, Togami wouldn’t consent to anything.”

Togami instantly attempted to refute the blunt remark, but soon settled down after a raised eyebrow from Naegi. It was evident the heir realized that, well, Naegi was right. He smoothed his blazer before giving a wry smile. “I suppose you are correct,” he growled. 

“Let’s pinky promise that we’ll be fair!” Naegi blurted, springing up from his chair. While Kyouko was a little surprised at the idea, Togami straight up laughed, at least until he saw the brunet’s offended look.

“What, you were being serious?” he mocked. Naegi just stuck his pinky right between Togami’s shocked blue eyes in reply, staring defiantly at him. Watching this, Kyouko couldn’t hold back her own laughter. This was just too cute.  _ This  _ was the Naegi that she had fallen in love with. A stupid, naive, caring, and downright adorable boy who just couldn’t take no for an answer.

“Pinkie promise me,” Naegi demanded. 

“No,” Togami replied, taking a step back. Kyouko let out a small huff at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation before she stood up, walked over, wrapped her own pinky around Naegi’s. 

“Pinkie promise,” she reassured him, a small smile on her face. If she thought the boy was happy earlier, he was positively overflowing with joy now. 

“You…” Togami started before taking a deep breath and starting over. “It seems I have no choice.” Kyouko released Naegi’s finger and stepped back, allowing the heir to take her place. They quickly locked pinkies.

“Write it down,” Togami commanded again, dropping the brunet’s pinkie. Kyouko did as she was asked, writing “Dates together unless consented otherwise” in the number 2 slot. 

“Anything else we want to add?” she asked.

“Um, I think that’s fine for now. Let’s just figure it out as we go!” Naegi said cheerfully. “Can we just...cuddle for now?”

Kyouko smiled as she closed her notebook and stuck it back in her jacket. “You’re rather blunt,” she commented playfully, and he blushed bright red.

“I’m sorry!” he frantically apologized. “Forget it!”

“No, it’s fine. I think it’s a great idea,” she replied. “I have a couch in my room, if you two don’t mind using it. It would be less awkward than a bed.” She glanced at Togami, worried he will disapprove, but he seemed content enough. He nodded at her.

“Let’s go then,” Kyouko said, walking out the door. Soon, Naegi joined her, linking their hands. She looked at him, noticing how he dragged Togami with him. She smiled. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff incoming!  
> Brace yourselves! -Musi


	6. The Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto chats with his sister about his current relationship status

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)  
> -Wyng
> 
> Also, sorry this is late. We're lazy -Musi

Once Makoto was safely back in his room, he slid his phone out of his blazer pocket and threw it on the bed. He had so much to tell Komaru, and he just couldn’t wait until Saturday morning to do it, so he had to message her right now. After he changed into a tank top and pajama pants, he flopped on the bed on his back, found his phone, and started typing, holding his phone precariously over his face. Although he was at risk for dropping his phone, he didn’t mind. It felt nice to stretch out his arms. 

**Hey. Are you up?** Makoto sent. The wide grin that spread across his face didn’t disappear in the amount of time it took his little sister to reply. 

**_Mako, you see me in less than 24 hours. What do you want?_** She replied. He could almost hear the teasing anger in her voice. It was moments like this where he missed his family the most.

**So you remember those two people I told you about like a month ago? The ones I really liked?**

**_Togami and Kirigiri?_ **

**Yeah, those are the ones.** Before she could reply, Makoto heard the sound of the curfew bell. 10:00 pm, as usual. He had made it back into his room just in time. He was relieved, because he  _ really  _ didn’t want to get in trouble with Ishimaru for being out past curfew. 

**_What about them?_ ** She answered a few seconds later.

Makoto took a second to compose himself. He was so excited to tell her, but he didn’t know how to say it. Maybe he should’ve waited until he saw her in person to tell her.

He probably took too long before answering, because after a few minutes, his sister sent:  **_Hey, you know you can tell me anything, right?_ **

**Yeah, I just…** He paused, thinking about what he wanted to say.

**Maybe I should have waited to tell you? I can tell you when I see you tomorrow. I’m sure you’re tired. After all, you’re a busy student, and Mom will kill you if you stay up again.**

**_No no no, you have to tell me now! What is it?_ ** He laughed at her persistence, and decided it would be best to go ahead and tell her. He would just take it one step at time.

**I may potentially have a boyfriend.**

**_Oh wow! You’ll have to bring him to visit._ ** Makoto took a deep breath before sending his next text.

**And a girlfriend.** She didn’t answer for a good five minutes. Makoto was seriously starting to worry when his phone finally buzzed.

**_Hold up, what? Mako, that’s cheating. You can’t just date them both without telling them._ **

**Well, I mean, we all agreed to it. We’re all dating each other.**

**_I don’t understand._ ** He could just imagine the puzzled look on her face. Looks like he had some explaining to do. 

**Basically, I’m in a polyamorous relationship.** He bit his lip, unsure of what to say next. Maybe the internet would be better at explaining it than he would.  **Google it.**

**_No. Explain it to me._ ** Crap. Her stubbornness really got on his nerves sometimes. He really didn’t have a choice, did he?

**I...um… so we all were like let’s date.**

**_Mako, that’s a terrible explanation. Forget it, I’ll google it._ ** Wow, he was so awkward. How could he ever tell his parents if he couldn’t even tell his baby sister? Distracted, his fingers slipped, and his phone fell at way too fast of a speed. He shut his eyes and tried to roll, but to no avail. The device hit him squarely in the nose. 

“Shit!” He hissed. This was just his luck. Makoto shifted positions, lying on his side. He didn’t dare risk dropping his phone on his face again. After a bit of searching in the dark, he found his device lost in the sheets and retrieved it, glaring at it for its transgressions against him.

Komaru had sent him another message.

**_Oh, that’s what it is. Ok, cool, so how are you going to tell Mom and Dad?_ **

That was something he hadn’t really thought about. His parents already knew he was bisexual, thanks to Komaru not keeping her mouth shut. However, while they were mostly supportive of his sexuality, Makoto wasn’t sure how they’d take the news of his non-monogamous relationship. It wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to talk about.

**I don’t know if I will.** He admitted. Her reply was instant, as if she knew he was going to have doubts.

**_They will love you no matter what. Don’t forget that just because you aren’t living at home right now._ ** He smiled sadly. Despite his sister’s encouragement, he wasn’t so sure. 

**We’ll see what happens.** Makoto sent finally. He didn’t feel like talking about his parents anymore and was about to change the subject when Komaru did it for him.

**_So you’re still planning to come visit tomorrow?_ **

**Of course.** At Hope’s Peak Academy, the students were given the weekend off. It was assumed that most students would go visit with family or spend the time studying, but majority of the teens just went out partying. Makoto believed he was one of the few students that actually went to go see his family besides Ishimaru. He often got made fun of for being such a mama’s boy, but he really didn’t mind. He was extremely close to his family. That was something to be proud of, in his opinion. 

**_Yay! Are you bringing anyone with you? ;)_ ** He sighed. Classic Komaru.  

**We’ve been together for less than 24 hours, Maru. Don’t push it.**

**_Awww okay. Next week then?_ **

**I’ll have to talk to them, but sure. Next week.** He regretted sending the message as soon as his thumb left the send button, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. His sister was so insistent that bringing his partners to visit was inevitable. Might as well agree to next week.

The conversation abruptly stopped, and Makoto wondered if she had fallen asleep. 

**_Sorry, Mom came in to check on me._ ** Komaru finally replied. 

**Did you pretend to be asleep?**

**_Duh._ **

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with another message, but this one wasn’t from Komaru.  **_I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Sleep tight. Love, Mom. P.S. Please tell Komaru to go to sleep. I could tell she was up._ **

Makoto couldn’t help but laugh at his mom’s message. He should have expected her to know. After all, moms are notorious for knowing everything.

He went back to his conversation with Komaru.  **Mom said to go to sleep.**

**_What? She wasn’t even here for that long. Did she text you? Aughhh!_ **

**Yeah, she said to go to sleep.**

**_It’s the weekend!_ **

**Fine, I’ll give you 20 more minutes, then you need to sleep. Okay?**

**_Deal._ ** There was a pause.  **_So have you kissed?_ **

**Maru, I’m not talking about this.**

**_Oh, so you have~_ **

**No, I haven’t. Get out of my love life, or I’ll be forced to torment yours.**

**_Please, you’re too soft for that, and you love your baby sister too much to hurt her like that._ ** Another pause.  **_So if you haven’t kissed, what have you done?_ **

Makoto sighed as he sent his reply.

**We cuddled.**

**_That’s so cute, and just your style. You seriously didn’t kiss?_ **

**No, Komaru. Why do you care so much? I haven’t kissed them yet.**

**_Well, I’m just a little curious, big brother. Like, would you kiss one, then the other, or do you kiss both at the same time?_ **

Makoto sighed again. He had honestly thought over questions like that himself, and he still didn’t know the answers.  **First off, maybe. Secondly, no. Finally, curiosity killed the cat. Stop asking!**

**_Aw, but satisfaction brought it back. Tell me._ **

**No, go to bed.**

**_It’s not 20 minutes yet. You go to bed._ **

Makoto narrowed his eyes at his phone.

**Fine. Goodnight, Maru.**

**_I hate you so much right now. Come back._ **

**Love you too. Sleep well.**

Makoto set his phone on the nightstand next to him and rolled to the other side, bundling up in the covers. Yeah, Komaru was definitely going to kill him tomorrow. He could hear the frantic buzzing of her replies, but he ignored them. He was legitimately tired and wanted to sleep. 

Still, as he shut his eyes, he reflected on the events of the day. Part of him couldn’t believe what had even happened. How was he supposed to guess that the two people he had fallen for actually wanted to be in a relationship with him? It felt almost impossible, but here he was. Then, after all that had happened, they had cuddled. It was absolutely magical. It was awkward at first, but once they had settled in, it was cozy and warm…A soft smile grazed his lips at the memory.

His phone buzzed again.

He would never hear the end of this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. So here's the dealeo. We set you up for some cuddles. And then we gave you a memory of said cuddles. I mean, the tag does say "eventual cuddles," but yeah, I get it, we're assholes.
> 
> Blame Wyng. Feel free to yell at him in the comments. -Musi


	7. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya learns just how important it is to keep track of valuable items

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! We're back! Here's part one of a two-part Byakuya chapter. We cut it short so you guys would have something to read. Tomorrow there will be a bonus chapter about Sayaka (*wink wink*) and soon there will be the rest of the Byakuya chapter! Thank you guys so much for being patient with us while we were off doing life. We love each one of you dearly! -Musi

When Byakuya groggily pulled himself out of bed early Saturday morning, he was ashamed to admit that his first thought was of Naegi. At first, it was just a simple thought of  _ where is he now?  _ Then that thought grew to  _ I wonder what his plans are for today  _ and  _ did he enjoy last night?  _ Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts. Now was not the time to be consumed with annoyingly fond questions about the idiotic and adorable teen. 

He swept his hand tentatively across the night table, searching for wherever he placed his glasses in the frenzy of yesterday. His fingers grazed across the leather of what could only be his glasses case. Carefully, he dragged it towards him, discovering that it was, in fact, his case. 

The case was empty.

Even with his blurry vision, he could tell that there was nothing inside. He frowned. Where else could he have placed them? Byakuya had strict routines that he followed day after day, and this was one of them. He always put his glasses in the case when he went to bed, that way he’d never lose them. It’s why he didn’t have a spare pair. He was confident he’d never break or misplace them due to his system. Byakuya Togami would never need a spare. So then why would-

Oh… No, he knew exactly where the damn things were.

Kyouko Kirigiri had them. More specifically, they were sitting on a table in her room. Goddammit. He tried to remember…

_ Naegi is so small and precious. He’s snuggled tightly against his side, and Byakuya has his arm around the boy’s shoulder. Kirigiri is somewhere on the other side, but he doesn’t care right now. She doesn’t matter. All that matters is the boy at his side. _

_ He’s warm, much warmer than he expected. Byakuya’s...never done this before, but he has to admit it’s nice. It’s really nice. Naegi nuzzles his shoulder, staring up at him expectantly. _

_ “Togami,” Naegi mumbles. _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Can I take off your glasses?” _

_ It is an odd question, but he sounds so sweet. Why would he really need to take off his glasses? He supposes he takes too long to answer, because Naegi giggles a little.  _

_ “They’re in the way.” he explains. _

_ In the way of what? Byakuya doesn’t really care, but he is curious. Regardless, he’s too sleepy and comfortable for it to matter much. _

_ “Go ahead, then,” he permits. Naegi stretches a hand upwards, and with the gentleness of a lamb, he slides Byakuya’s glasses off his face. His vision instantly blurs, and the world becomes fuzzy. He can’t see what Naegi does with his glasses, but Byakuya hears him pass them off to Kirigiri. A soft clinking sound means they were set on the table next to the couch.  _

_ “Thank you!” Naegi murmurs, snuggling closer to the heir. His head is placed on Byakuya’s chest, lying in such a way where the top of his hair tickles the heir’s chin. He’s suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss the top of the brunet’s head. Byakuya shakes his head, sighing contentedly, and shuts his eyes instead. He can’t see anyways, and he’s rather comfortable, so he might as well rest… _

He didn’t quite remember what happened next. Perhaps he had fallen asleep. Then how did he end up back in his room? He shook his head again. In the end, it didn’t matter. He would likely find out exactly what happened later in the day. 

Byakuya set the case aside and felt around for his phone on the nightstand. After a few seconds of fumbling, he felt the familiar feeling of his phone’s screen underneath his fingertips. However, he found that once he tried to look at the time, the screen was so horrifically blurry that he couldn’t make out even one digit. He knew his alarm was set for 9:30 am, since it was the weekend, but it hadn’t gone off yet, so it must have been before then.

It took four tries before Byakuya could successfully type in his passcode and unlock his phone. Everything became a bright blur as he tried to make sense of the apps on his home screen. Then, something caught his eye. There was a blurry red dot next to what he assumed was his messaging app. That meant that someone had texted him, right? He would’ve tried to see who it was, but Byakuya knew it was useless. Without his glasses, he had no chance of ever reading those tiny words. 

Godammit. He really needed his glasses. He decided that a shower was the best course of action. After that, he would figure out what to do about the rather hellish situation. He felt his way towards his bathroom, thankful that he kept his room so tidy. 

After he had showered, Byakuya dressed in his most casual outfit, a nice pressed dress shirt and slacks, and sat down on the bed to think. The shower was relaxing, and it lasted just long enough to clear his mind and help him focus on the problem at hand. He needed to get his glasses back. If he didn’t, he’d never get anything done. That meant finding Kirigiri in all her  _ glory _ . Byakuya assumed she was awake; she seemed to never sleep anyways. Even if she wasn’t awake, it was probably time for a wake up call. He smiled rather mischievously.

He was going to have a lot of fun with this.

 

Byakuya wasn’t having any fun with this. He ran into a wall.

_ A wall. _

He took three steps out of his room and his long legs carried him into a wall. He, of all people, ran into a wall. As he looked around the hallway to see if any blurry shapes witnessed his humiliation, he moved to adjust his glasses...then decided to just straighten his shirt instead. Luckily, no one appeared to be lurking in the hallway. His shame was his alone.

Now then, where was Kirigiri’s room located? She was mere dust beneath his feet, so he had never taken note where her room was situated in comparison to his. That made things a little harder. He tried to think back to the previous night, but the memory was extraordinarily fuzzy. There were too many doors, and he couldn’t see a damn thing. The only two doors he recognized were his own, of course, and Naegi’s. The boy’s room was across the hall and one door to the right from Byakuya’s. 

As much as he hated to show himself to anyone without his glasses, Byakuya knew Naegi was his best bet to finding Kirigiri’s room. So, with as much poise as he could muster, he felt his way along the wall until he reached Naegi’s doorknob. It didn’t take more than a few steps; he felt like an imbecile since he originally judged that the door was further away. Stupid vision. He rang the doorbell, then stood back.

Byakuya realized after a minute of waiting and another doorbell ring that Naegi was not in his room. Cursing to himself, he leaned against the wall, thinking up another idea. What now? He could ring every doorbell and hope for the best, but that would be mortifying. A Togami should never be seen like this.

At that precise moment, he heard the sound of a door opening. No, this was not what he needed right now. Byakuya shied away from the sound. He wouldn’t be able to see the person anyway, so it didn’t really matter. 

“Um...Togami, did you ram into my door?” It was Sayaka Maizono. He could tell by the pitch of her voice that it was her. She had the most obnoxious voice out of any of the girls here, Kirigiri included. Had he run into her door? He thought he had simply run into a wall, but since her room was directly across from his...

Gritting his teeth, he turned around to face the blur of a human. “It’s fine if you did. It just startled me, that’s all. I was just waking up,” the girl said, most likely with a polite smile. He could already tell from her tone that she was mocking him. 

“Perhaps,” he barked. Maizono giggled as her blurry figure leaned against the doorframe.  

“Alright then. Maybe look where you’re going next time?” she teased. He glared sharply before scoffing at her sheer, unbelievable idiocy. How did she not notice his glasses were gone? 

“Do you…” she paused, “know where you’re going? I mean… that’s Naegi’s door.” 

“I’m aware.”

She leaned forward slightly. “Why? He’s not even there. He left me a text saying he would be out of his room all day.” Byakuya fought back the urge to ask where he was, knowing that it wouldn’t be appropriate for this situation, even though he was dying to know. Not that he would admit that. Regardless, he needed to get his glasses back  _ now. _ He  _ could _ not,  _ would  _ not keep doing this. He refused to.

“Where is Kirigiri’s room?” he demanded. Maizono giggled again, an insufferable sound that hurt his ears. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she answered cheerfully. He took a threatening step forward, fully intending to squeeze the air out of her very lungs when she started to keel over laughing. “I’m kidding! Just kidding,  To~re~mi,” she sang, in between bouts of laughter. “It’s like, a couple steps behind you, on the end.”

He gave her a curt nod, turned sharply on his heel, and began walking to the end of the hall. He was so grateful to be ending this conversation. People like her didn’t deserve to be walking this ea-

“Hey, To~re~mi?” her voice followed him. “You passed it. Take like, two steps back, Mr. Long Legs.” She was teasing him again. God, he despised her. If he ever had to spend time with her, he would lose his mind. Byakuya didn’t care if Maizono was Naegi’s friend. It would never happen. Ever.

The worst part about this was the fact that she was right. 

He took the two steps back, glaring at her the whole way, before ringing Kirigiri’s doorbell. Maizono gave one final chuckle as he rang the doorbell again.

Oh Jesus Christ.

Kirigiri was not in her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did we ruin Sayaka's character yet? Whoops.  
> I got to slip in all the jokes I wanted Im so happy  
> -Wyng
> 
> We thrive on comments, so please, tell us what you think! We love hearing feedback! -Musi


	8. Bonus: The Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayaka learns what's going on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short little bonus chapter. Enjoy! -Musi

Once she had finished teasing Togami, Sayaka slipped back into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. Maybe she had been a little too rough on him, considering how much pride he had. Still, the whole situation had been pretty funny. Who else could say that Byakuya Togami ran into their door just because he wasn’t wearing his glasses? It was so  _ ridiculous _ .

Hah, she’d never let him live it down.

Anyways, now that she thought about it, what on earth was he doing? People rarely ever saw Togami outside of class or the library, and he had been at Naegi’s door...hmmm…

Oh.

_ Ohhhhh. _

Well, that _would_ fit. But what about Kirigiri? Oh well. Now she simply had to know. It would be the perfect type of leverage when she would eventually need it. She unplugged up her bright pink phone from the charger and sprawled out on the bed. She had a few messages from the other idols in her group, but she just ignored them in favor of sending a text to Naegi. 

**Why was Togami outside your door this morning?**

**_What? I don’t know??_ **

**Well, he was. Why would he go to your room? ;D**

**_Idk._ **

This was highly suspicious. Seriously, who would put a period after “IDK” unless they were hiding something? 

**Are you two dating??**

**_HOW DO YOU KNOW?_ **

**I’m an esper :P** His reply came back instantly after she sent hers, almost as if he’d been expecting it. 

**_Maizono..._ **

**Kidding! ;) I just have a great intuition.**

**_Are we sure about that? Are you secretly the SHSL Esper?_ **

**How did you know?**

**_I actually have a great intuition._ **

**Yeah, sure. But hey, what about Kirigiri? I didn’t listen to hours of you moaning about how beautiful and mysterious she was for this kinda shit to go down.** Sayaka laughed so hard as she sent the message. Naegi never talked about Togami, at least not in a romantic sense. Lately, he had talked about them becoming closer friends, but he never revealed any feelings of attraction. Maybe he was just trying to ignore the gay in his soul? 

**_I’m kinda into both of them? Also, dating them. Both of them. Not in the cheating way, I had to explain that to Komaru last night._ **

She paused for a second, taking in the information. She was a bit shocked, actually.

**You told Komaru before you told me? ;-; I’m your neighbor!**

**_She’s my sister! Idk, I thought you were asleep?_ **

**You didn’t even text me. You wouldn’t have known! Aughh whatever, I can suck it up and get over this betrayal :C Tell me everything.** Thinking back, it made sense that the three of them would get together. Naegi came out as bisexual shortly after they grew close as friends, so she knew he liked both genders. And although he had never come out and said it before, Sayaka had gotten the vibe that he was okay with poly relationships.

Still, she supposed that meant she’d have to have a chat with the two. After all, they were dating her closest non-idol friend. She had to see how everything was working. She had to take care of Naegi.

**_So long story short..._ **


	9. Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya wanders around for a couple hours. Poor guy.

“Togami, how nice to see you this morning! It’s quite rare for you to come down to breakfast!” 

Byakuya smothered down the urge to grimace at the volume of Ishimaru’s voice in favor of his normal detached and superior look. He gritted his teeth and headed towards the kitchen, ignoring the Ultimate Moral Compass altogether.

“Where are your glasses?” he hollered as Byakuya walked away. “That doesn’t seem very safe!” Thankfully, the loud voice diminished as he entered the kitchen. Hanamura was over at the stove, humming softly as he made an omelet of some sort. Byakuya recognized him not by the sound of his tunes, but simply because he was the only one that short.

As Byakuya searched for the toaster and a loaf of bread, someone else entered the kitchen. 

Aoi Asahina. Her bright red jacket gave her away. The girl was probably only here in search of donuts, but even he could see the change on her face when she saw him. 

“Hey, Togami!” she called. Why did everyone want to speak to him today? “You’re looking for Kirigiri, right?” She asked it casually as if they were friends and this was a question she was permitted to ask. Togami gave her a haughty glare over his shoulder before sliding the bread in the toaster and pushing the lever down to wait.

“I actually am. How did you find out?” he replied, turning around.

“Maizono told me! Anyway, I saw her earlier, like waaaaay earlier this morning. I was heading to the work out with Sakura on the second floor when I saw her heading up the stairs to the third floor, but I don’t know if she actually was there. I didn’t go look or anything. Still, that would be a good place to check!”

He sighed. “I suppose so.” Conveniently, his toaster released its captive at that very moment. Wanting to get out of there as quick as possible, Byakuya grabbed his toast and escaped, not even bothering to butter it.

“If she isn’t there, you should go check the bath! I’m sure someone will be there, at least!” he heard Hanamura call as he left. It was quickly followed by smack and a very loud cry of pain. Smirking to himself, he took a bite of his bread and he hurried out of the dining hall. He should have grabbed some sort of jam or jelly. Still, Byakuya had three floors to check to find the wily detective. There wasn’t any time to waste on  _ toast _ .  

Once he reached the third floor, he headed straight for the rec room. Out of all the classes on this floor, she was most likely to be there. When he entered, Oowada, Fujisaki, and Kuwata looked up from some game at a table and nodded at him. Kirigiri was nowhere to be found. Of course. He rolled his eyes and headed back towards the hallway.

“Oi, Togami!” 

The heir turned back to the group. “What the fuck are you doing up here?” Kuwata asked, motioning to the crew to halt their game.

“As if that’s any of your concern,” the blond scoffed. Nervous glances were shared between the men. Finally, after a moment of tense staring, Oowada stood up from his chair and walked briskly towards Byakuya. Despite what seemed to be impending doom, Byakuya stayed firmly planted in his spot. Oowada didn’t scare him in the slightest. All bark, no bite, after all.

The gang leader grabbed a hold of his freshly pressed collar and lifted him slightly closer to his face, so close that his mess of a hairstyle hit his forehead in the most unpleasant way. He knew that it was held up with hairspray, but he didn’t expect it to be nearly solid. It felt revolting against his skin. It was apparent he hadn’t brushed his teeth, either, due to smell permeating from his mouth. If Byakuya squinted hard enough, he could see a green glob stuck in between two teeth.

Disgusting.

After a long stare off, Oowada finally said, “Ya gonna tell Kiyotaka ‘bout this?”

“Tell him about what? Your little gambling ring?”

“It’s against the rules, ya know? I don’t need him naggin’ me again.”

From the table, Fujisaki spoke up, quietly adding, “He keeps rambling about it not being welcome in a school environment. It’s kind of annoying, especially because I keep winning,” and Kuwata grunted in agreement or frustration, one of the two. Byakuya held the stare with the delinquent before sighing. “Put me down, Oowada.”

“Not ‘til ya agree. Are you gonna tell my bro about this?”

Byakuya had just opened his mouth to reply when his regular morning alarm went off. It was simply the default ringtone, but it was ridiculously loud. He really should have turned his volume down. In his shock, Oowada dropped him, pushing the heir back as he fell. Byakuya’s hands fumbled to stop his fall before anything could hit the the floor. Despite his efforts, he still crashed into the floor, his back making a terrible sound as he collided. All the air in his lungs forced its way out in a single burst as he laid against the floor. 

Damn.

“Ah! Togami, are you okay?” Fujisaki cried. A seat scuffed against the floor as someone began laughing.

“No, Oowada. I am not going to tell ‘your bro’ anything,” Byakuya grunted as he picked himself back up. The blond brushed any dirt off his once pristine shirt and then attempted to fix his collar. It was going to take forever for Aloysius to iron those wrinkles out.

“If I find out that you told him-” the teen started. 

He waved his hand dismissively. “I don’t care. I won’t be telling anyone,” Byakuya interrupted, ”Now, since it’s  _ clear _ you’re of no use to me, I’ll be going.” 

Oowada scoffed in reply, walking back to his game. Fujisaki gave him a tiny wave and a pitiful smile from the table, still standing from the incident. Kuwata was keeled over, laughing as he wiped tears from his eyes.

“Have a good day, Togami,” Kuwata wheezed.

The heir gritted his teeth and charged out of the room. He didn’t know where he was headed, but for once in his life, he didn’t mind. That whole encounter was a waste of time, and there was nothing Byakuya hated more than that.

Once out of the rec room, he turned right, plowing down the hallway. Since it was a Saturday, there weren’t too many students milling around the school, meaning the hallways were mostly silent.

There were only a few students in the third floor hallway. Two upperclassman stood holding hands and talking against the art room wall. When he passed them, the girl gave him a pitiful look, and the boy seemingly glared at him, along with the four blurry creatures sitting on his shoulders. Byakuya ignored them all, continuing down the hallway at a brisk pace.

He reached the fourth floor stairs, taking them two at a time, when he first heard it. Someone was walking quietly behind him. Byakuya whirled around, peering down the stairs behind him, but there was no one there except for a blurry wall. Frowning, he turned back around, and was startled to find the shape of a person standing at the top of the stairs who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

He stared at them for a second before a wide grin split across their face.

“IBUKI AWAAAAAY!”

The teen ran forward and jumped, arms windmilling as she hurled herself down the stairwell. Byakuya ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by flailing legs as she passed.

The girl landed, posed, and cheered, all in one fluid motion. He was still processing what just happened when another figure appeared at the top of the stairs, stammering, “M-M-M-M-Mioda! You shouldn’t have done that! You c-could have injured yourself! Or h-him!” She rushed past him, heading for the girl on the landing between the two floors.

“That’s what you’re here for, Mikan-chan!” the ridiculous girl replied, flashing a hand symbol he couldn’t make out from this distance and a wink at the girl hurrying down the stairs. 

“At least let m-me check you for any injuries b-before we go!”

Byakuya cautiously stood up, smoothed his shirt out one more time, and continued the last few steps up the stairwell. He wasn’t exactly sure what just happened, but it didn’t matter anyways. Those girls weren’t in his class, and he had more pressing matters to take care of.

He was just about to enter the music room when he heard that sound again. Footsteps. It was too undeniable to ignore, and it was slightly unnerving. There weren’t very many people at the school who could follow him without him seeing. Still, Byakuya wasn’t sure why any of them would follow him. That curiosity nagged at him. Who was it? Who was following with almost military precision? The blond simply had to find out. 

As he swung open the music room door, he turned around, finding himself blurrily staring down into the eyes of Touko Fukawa.

“Y-you know, I bet Kirigiri is w-with Naegi right now,” she said immediately.

Byakuya glared at his follower. “Why are you here?” he replied.

“Kirigiri is probably w-with him right now. I bet t-they’re on a romantic date all alone, and who knows what could h-happen?” Her face turned redder as she spoke, drool dripping down her chin. She clutched her shoulders as if they were her only lifeline. Byakuya knew Fukawa wrote romance novels, but he had never expected this. She was acting bizarre, and much too forward for his liking. 

“Do y-you think they would go on a picnic? In a closed off area with n-no one else? They’re sitting c-close together, hands  _ roaming _ over each other’s bodies. The two m-must be hungry for s-someth-”

“Shut up, Fukawa, you’re disgusting,” he said. Her lewd smile only grew at his statement. There was a fire in her eyes, one he’d never seen before. It was revolting. Even without his glasses, he could see it clear as day.

“Y-yes, Master,” she whispered, her voice just barely audible. He decided to ignore that. “Leave me alone," he said, but the conviction in his voice seemed to have disappeared. 

The girl nodded. “Of c-course. Just think about it,” she said, eyes burning into his. She stared at him for a little too long for comfort before turning and walking softly down the hallway.

He waited until she was completely out of sight to relax. This entire search had been pointless so far and now, he couldn’t get that pig’s words out of his head. He knew they had the agreement, but it was just a childish, stupid, immature pinky promise. It wasn’t some legally binding contract, it was a schoolyard trick. There was no way Kirigiri would follow something like that. Still, it had been Naegi’s promise too. Would he really betray him like that? 

Byakuya shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He figured he might as well go to his room to wait, since it was clear he wouldn’t find her by wandering around the school.

He headed back down the stairwell, hand lingering over the railing. This had all been a stupid idea, and frankly, he couldn’t believe he bought into it. He trudged through the halls, heading down the next staircase, when he caught a glimpse of… something. Was that… Kirigiri? 

Everything he’d ever learned about grace and professionalism flew out the window when he saw her. He ran. He ran like his life depended on it. Byakuya Togami  **_ran_ ** . 

When he reached her, his hands gripped her shoulders like iron clamps. She had wasted so much of his precious time, and he was so frustrated about it. 

“Kirigiri, where have you been?” he demanded. She pulled his hands off her body, staring calmly at him.

“I was working out. Why?”

Byakuya stared at the girl. “Are you really so dense?” he asked. Kirigiri smirked softly before she spoke again, looking into his eyes that were clearly without glasses. 

“Let’s head to my room. I’ll give you what you want.”

Byakuya never thought that Kirigiri could utter words out of her mouth that would actually make him happy, but he was just proven wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed our rushed attempt at a good chapter, hah. See you all soon! -Musi


	10. Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get awkward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kyouko deserves a chapter.  
> -Wyng
> 
> Also thank you for 100 Kudos! I'll never understand why so many of you like this, but hey, thank you! -Musi

Kyouko finally closed the door as Togami left, taking a minute to breathe. She hadn’t realized it until then, but her hands were shaking ever so slightly. Maybe she had underestimated the heir and his effects. The detective sighed, leaning back against the door. She would never let anyone see it, but he had rattled her. She hadn’t expected that.

She needed to relax. 

Kyouko pushed herself away from the door and headed swiftly towards the bathroom, taking steady breaths as she went. Once inside, she locked the door behind her, even though no one could get into her room in the first place. It was one of those insignificant things that made her feel just a bit better.

She turned on the shower, hearing the familiar sound of water hitting the tile below. While the water warmed up, she quickly undressed, leaving her gloves for last. It wasn’t like she hadn’t grown used to scars on her hands. After all, she’d lived with them for years now. Still, she liked to keep them out of sight as much as possible, since the memories attached weren’t exactly...pleasant.

After checking to make sure the water was warm enough, Kyouko stepped into the shower, immediately feeling her worry wash away with the water. She loved showers. Ever since she was a little girl, the shower was somewhere safe, where she could think and work out her problems in the calm and safety of the tile. It was something she did often to help her solve more complicated cases. She stood under the flow for a bit, allowing her body to adjust to the temperature. Finally, the detective eased her way down to sit. 

She didn’t remember exactly when she began sitting in the shower. Kyouko guessed it began from when she was little, back before her mom died and her father left. She had loved to take baths and her parents had always indulged her. It was one of the few fond memories she had of those times, back when her dad would help her wash her hair and her mom would braid it afterwards. She took a deep breath before slowly letting it out, dispersing the memories.

Kyouko drew her knees up to her chest, closing her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her legs and set her chin on her knees. She let the water cascade over her head and shoulders, warming her to the core, and she let out a sigh of relaxation. Now she could think in peace.

When she had let Togami into her room, she had expected it to be a quick, albeit snarky, exchange. He would grab the glasses, say something vaguely rude and superior, and get out. They both didn’t see eye to eye in the slightest, so she assumed that their interaction would be brief.

_ “Make it quick,” she stated, unlocking the door and swinging it open. The heir scoffed as he pushed past her. She followed him in, leaving the door open behind her. Togami had already found the table without her help, and he ran his fingers over the surface until they closed around his case.  _

_ “Where did you say you were again?” Togami asked, suspicion laced in his voice. Kyouko held back a frown. This wasn’t necessary, was it? _

_ “I was working out on the second floor,” she replied.  _

_ He snorted. “I doubt that,” he said as he slid his glasses back on. Suddenly, he looked much more intimidating than before, peering at her sharply. She nearly forgot who she was dealing with.  _

_ “Excuse me?”  _

_ “I talked to nearly every person in this goddamn school trying to find you, and not a single one had a clue where you were,” he hissed. “How is it that not a single person knew your whereabouts?” _

_ “I spent the mo-” she started, but Togami cut her off.  _

_ “I ran into Asahina this morning, and she told me she had seen you heading up the third floor as she went to work out. Explain that to me.” He took a step towards her, eyes blazing with anger. _

_ “I didn’t go to work out first. I had some business to take care of,” she stated simply. “Why do you care so much?” _

_ Togami crossed his arms. She noted how his foot was tapping impatiently. “I find it odd that you two would go missing at the same time.” _

_ Was he talking about Naegi? Oh, of course. If he hadn’t had his glasses all morning, that meant he couldn’t see his phone, which plainly described Naegi’s whereabouts.   _

_ “He’s visiting family. Check your phone.” He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but did as she said. His expression softened as he read the message, but he was smirking when he looked up. _

_ “Well, isn’t that convenient?” _

_ “If that isn’t enough to convince you, I guess you’re more of an idiot than I thought. This isn’t some kind of criminal case. It’s not that complicated,” she said, annoyed. She didn’t appreciate him coming into her room and accusing her like this, especially after less than a day of their relationship, for crying out loud. This was real life, not some kind of tv drama or poorly written story. _

_ “Now, will you please get out of my room?” she asked through clenched teeth. She had things to do, none of which involved this jerk. _

_ Togami took another step forward, presumably to walk out of the room, but instead, he stopped right in front of her. “I would watch your back,” he said. _

_ And then he was gone through the open door. _

Threats normally didn’t bother her. She was used to them with her profession, after all, but there was something about this one that just made her feel uneasy. There was a difference between one of her cases and her personal affairs. It didn’t help that it was from a Togami, a corporation she suspected had a much more shady and vengeful side. She took another deep breath.

“Focus, Kyouko,” she muttered to herself. The real question was, why was Togami acting this way? Clearly, he was jealous, but what was the catalyst? Why would he lash out so easily so soon? Was he really that jealous? It just didn’t add up.

Someone must have pushed him to this point. She doubted it would even take much to do. Anything could plant an idea in his mind and he would breed it himself. Besides, Togami seemed very protective of Naegi, to say the least. Perhaps he had always been this way, but she just hadn’t noticed.

Kyouko tilted her head back and let the warm water wash over her face. As much as she enjoyed staying in here, she knew it was time to start wrapping up. She looked down at her fingers, noting how pruny they had become. 

She stood up carefully and followed her usual routine. She washed with bodywash, shampoo, and conditioner, then turned off the water, and began to dry off. She stepped out of the shower, taking an extra minute to towel off and make sure she was completely dry before entering her room. She grabbed an old shirt and pair of shorts, along with a sports bra and fresh underwear. Quickly, she changed into her clothes and retreated back to the bathroom.  

Kyouko picked up her hairbrush and her hair dryer, plugging the hair dryer into the bathroom socket. The detective tried to relax as she began to dry her long hair, but the thoughts still lingered. It was almost funny how they followed her. She knew logically there was little Togami could really do inside the school, and she also knew there was little reason to worry over a relationship that hadn’t existed for more than a day.

And still, here she was, setting her hair dryer aside in favor of looking at her phone, as if it held all the answers she needed. The truth was it probably didn’t. The teen didn’t have many contacts to begin with and out of all of them, only two were from anyone in her class. She truly doubted that she would have any messages at all and yet... 

She did. Of course, it was Naegi. Who else would it be?

**_Just got back!_ **

It was short and sweet. Nothing special. Before she could second guess what she was doing, Kyouko was sending a response.

**Can I come see you?**

The detective stared at the message for a few seconds, trying to distinguish where that impulsive message had come from before giving up. She set her phone back down on the counter and resumed drying her hair while she waited. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed again.

**_You don’t have to ask, you know. But sure!_ **

She should have expected that. Setting the hair dryer down, she looked in the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her hair was barely dried and she looked way too casual, but at this point in time, Kyouko didn’t care. She wanted to see him as soon as possible. Maybe he could help soothe her nerves.

She made up her mind. After grabbing her phone, handbook, room key, pocketbook, and a pen, she left her dorm. The hallways were completely empty, since it was late afternoon. Most kids would be out and about around the school and not hanging around the dorms. Regardless, it wasn’t as if she had a particularly long walk to make. She quickly reached Naegi’s room, ringing the doorbell. It was only a few seconds before the luckster swung open the door. 

“Kirigiri! I wasn’t expecting you to come here so soon. Come on in!” A cheerful smile lit up his face. She had to admit, it was an extremely reassuring sight. She followed him into his dorm, immediately noticing that there were no places to sit. No couch, no chairs, nothing. Well, no, that wasn’t quite accurate. There was a chair at his desk, hidden behind his bed, in a place where you absolutely couldn’t get to it, even if you wanted to.

“Who designed your room?” Kyouko found herself bitterly muttering.

Naegi chuckled. “You can just sit here,” he said, patting a spot next to him on his bed. It was a bit unconventional, yes, but she didn’t mind. She sat in the middle of the bed, crossed legged, while Naegi leaned up against the headboard. She tried to focus on releasing the tension.

“You know, I’ve never seen you dressed so casually. It’s kinda nice,” Naegi said with a small smile. “Still,” he added, his face getting a little more serious, “you look a little stressed. Do you wanna talk about it?” 

She pursed her lips together. Was she really that readable?

“I’m fine,” she answered automatically. There was no need to share her discomfort at Togami. That would surely upset Naegi, and she couldn’t have that happening. 

“Well, remember you can talk to me whenever. I’m always here to listen,” he replied, concern evident on his face. Kyouko smiled almost sadly. She’d never had someone say that to her before. 

They sat together in silence for a few moments, listening to the hum of the air conditioner. Naegi didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed rather content.

“How was your family?” she asked at last. 

“They’re doing great! Komaru was really excited to hear about yo-” he stopped and corrected himself “-yesterday.” Before Kyouko could comment on his blatantly obvious cover up, he asked, “How was your day?”

She frowned a little, reminiscing on the day’s events. How  _ had _ her day been so far?

“Tiring,” she replied. “I’m ready for the day to be over.” Naegi gave her a sympathetic look. She felt like he was seeing into her soul, so she looked away, towards one of his blank, plain walls.

“I know you don’t want to tell me about it, but I guess I just want you to know that I’m here to help you through anything. Whether that’s from something deadly serious to minor stuff, I’m here to help. So you can trust me to always just be there. Okay?”

She let his words sink in for a minute. This was to be expected of him. Makoto Naegi was simply the type to comfort anyone when they needed it, and she supposed she was no different. She let a soft smile cross her face, closing her eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly. 

Kyouko felt the bed shift underneath her, and like any normal person would, she turned towards the movement. When she did, she suddenly felt warm lips pressed up against her own. Her eyes flew open and she jerked back, startled. 

“I’m so sorry!” a blushing Naegi sputtered. “I leaned in to kiss your cheek and you turned and then your lips were there and I’m sorry!”

Kyouko took an extra second to compose herself. “Naegi, we’re dating,” she finally said. “It’s fine.” He put his head in his hands, clearly not convinced. 

“Really, I don’t mind,” Kyouko said again. “It was kind of cute, in its own way.” He started to laugh awkwardly, not even listening.

“I wanted our first kiss to be special, like _ really _ special, and now, it’s ruined,” he rambled.

“Naegi.” 

“Dammit! We haven’t even been dating that long! Did I cross the line?”

“ _ Naegi. _ ”

“What?” He met her gaze, clearly panicking. “I did? I’m so sorry!”

He was so clueless sometimes. Clueless and naive and too sweet. She smothered a laugh down as he looked at her helplessly. “I never said I didn’t like it. I just wish I had a little more warning,” she stated, smiling mischievously. She gave him a few seconds to let it sink in... 

“Oh.”

He blushed even more, if that were at all possible. “Can I kiss you?” he asked timidly.

“Yes,” she answered. The second kiss was admittedly better than the first. It was sweet, just like him. She wasn’t going to lie, it was extremely awkward, but she understood why people did it. 

As far as first kisses go, it wasn’t bad at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alt. End:  
> Her eyes snapped open.  
> Oh god, Togami.  
> -Wyng


	11. Bonus 2: The Little Sister

“What? It ends like that?” Komaru flipped through the pages again, trying to find at least one more page. Alas, there were none, just the plain inside of the back cover. Turning back one page,she stared at the last page of the volume in shock. This was a joke, right? How could it end in such a cliffhanger? The next volume wouldn't be out for a couple months, if she remembered right. What was she going to do during the wait? She dropped the manga down into the soft purple comforter. Forcing herself to sit up, she pondered her situation.

What could possibly solve this?

Maybe there was something else she could read to fill the void created in her life. She reached for her phone, hitting the home button to see:

**_Komaru._ **

**_Komaru._ **

**_Komaru._ **

**_Komaru, you better not be asleep._ **

**_Komaru, answer your phone._ **

**_Komaru._ **

Makoto had messaged her. Well, more accurately he had spammed her phone with the same message. What did he want? He had visited them today, after all. What could happen that brief span of time he'd been gone? How much could happen in that amount of time? There was no way he’d been back to the academy for too long. What did he do?

**What???**

**_Oh, you are awake._ **

Komaru squinted at her phone. Was he serious? It was only like... 5 in the afternoon. How dare he imply she would just take a long, peaceful, refreshing nap on a weekend?

...Ok  so, Komaru might. She did stay up really late last night. (That, however, wasn’t her fault! She just had to read that new issue of “The Bomb Inside Her.”) She didn’t have any plans to go take a nap, though. Not now anyways.

**I’m gonna ignore that and instead ask why you spammed my phone, jerk.**

She glared at her phone, puffing a cheek out before slowly blowing the air out. This better be good. This better be really good.

**_Ok, so you may not believe this, but I kissed Kirigiri today?!!_ **

Huh? Was he serious? Yesterday, he was saying they hadnt kissed and it was so early in their relationship (and he had only reiterated that today to her). Now, he was saying he kissed Kirigiri?

He was completely right. She didn’t believe him. But if he actually did…

**WHAT??! NO WAY! You kissed her?????**

**_Yeah_ ** **.**

Komaru took a deep breath before exhaling. Then she did it again. And again. And again. Ok. So, this was good. Better than good, actually. She couldn't believe he even told her! She sent back her reply.

**OKAY, first of all, when, secondly, what, and finally, any details you’re willing to share?**

She sat for what felt like an eternity, just waiting on his reply. It felt like he was purposely trying to draw this out. She tapped her finger against the side of the phone. “Any minute now, Mako,” she mumbled.

**_Well…_ **

  1. **_It was totally accidental. But like it turned out ok. And it happened a little while after I got back?_**
  2. **_Yeah. We kissed._**
  3. **_No._**



Komaru had to take a minute. He accidentally kissed her. Honestly, he was probably the only person she knew who could actually do that.

**Omg this is literally something from a manga. You accidENTALLY KISSED HER??**

**_...yes. I was gonna kiss her on the cheek and she turned and yeah. Accidentally kissed her._ **

**I can’t believe you actually got your first kiss, Mako. Wow.**

She paused for a second. Wait...

**Have you kissed Togami too?**

**_No, not yet? I haven’t actually seen him today._ **

Really? Makoto was lucky Komaru was here to help him out and give him helpful sisterly advice.

**You should go kiss Togami right now.**

**_Komaru, no._ **

**Komaru, yes.**

Komaru snickered as she watched her brother’s replies. They popped up one after another, all explaining, generally, the same thing. She sent a quick reply before flopping down on her bed. This officially made her day. Who even cared about that cliffhanger now?

(Well, maybe she did, just so slightly.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's not dead?  
> It's us, we're not dead! Here's some of that sweet filler to prove it. We're back though, and mostly ready to write again. Updates may be slower, bc we have to schedule writing times, but we don't want to completely drop this story either. So sorry for the long wait, and welcome back!  
> -Wyng
> 
> (also shameless self-promo: go check out three-poly-detectives.tumblr.com if you want to contact us.)


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